Shanghai's subway microblog 'influential'

10:43, November 10, 2011

The city's subway operator's Sina Weibo, widely regarded as the Chinese version of Twitter, has made a nationwide list ranking the 10 most influential Sina Weibo accounts for government departments.

Shanghai Shentong Metro Group's microblog came in ninth for its connection made with the country's rapidly growing microblogging population.

The city's subway operator trailed behind Beijing police and Guangdong Province police, who came in first and second, respectively, according to a report released this week by the Public Opinion Research Laboratory of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Microblogs have replaced newspapers as the second-most popular source for news, following web portals, which are the first choice among local residents, said Xie Gengyun, the study's lead researcher.

"The influence of microblogging on residents has rapidly increased in a short time and continues to do so," he told the Global Times Wednesday. "Already, some 10,023 Sina Weibo accounts have been set up by various government bodies.